A mother whose daughter has spent almost her entire life on hospital waiting lists has told Newstalk Breakfast that it feels like the State isn't taking care of public patients.
Recent figures released by the Health Minister show at least 86,625 children across the country are on hospital waiting lists to see a specialist, compared to a previously revealed figure of 46,000.
The smaller figure only encompasses the country's three children hospitals, with the larger number including data from around two dozen others hospitals around the country.
Siobhan Fields' daughter Megan - who is 10-years-old, going on 11 - is just one of the children on those waiting lists - and she has spent most of her life on 'waiting list upon waiting list'.
Most recently, she has been on the ear, nose and throat waiting list for over a year now - having initially been referred in October 2017 for getting her tonsils out.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Siobhan explained: "We're still stuck on a wait list, and the hospital have contacted us and said it's a 30 month wait list to meet the consultant - so she won't meet the consultant until April next year.
"We haven't got a date yet, but that's the estimate that the hospital has given us."
Explaining the impact of the tonsil issues on Megan's life, Siobhan said: "She gets tonsillitis very badly - she's been hospitalised with it. She misses a lot of school, she's in a lot of pain with it.
"She was on a low-dose antibiotic for six months, three times a week, to try to keep the tonsillitis at bay."
'Waiting for up to two-and-a-half years'
This is far from the family's first experience with hospital waiting lists.
Megan has scoliosis, and she's currently under the care of Temple Street having been diagnosed at ten-months-old.
Siobhan explained: "We have been on wait list upon wait list for braces, for first appointments, for casting when she was permanently casted...
"[The waiting time] slightly improves if you're in the system - not a lot.
"For first appointments, you could be waiting for two or two-and-a-half years in Crumlin Hospital."
On the impact of scoliosis, she noted: "They can't breathe, they can't eat properly, they can't walk, they're constantly tired, they can't attend school.
"They can't do anything that another child at their age who doesn't have scoliosis can do."
Siobhan said she feels let down by the State and the health system.
She observed: "She's a public patient, and it feels like they aren't taking care of public patients in any way whatsoever. They're making a two-tier health system.
"If you can afford €5,000 for a tonsillectomy you can get it done in a few months. We have to wait [two-and-a-half years] before we see the consultant."
